Outrigger structure for hole digger and derrick apparatus



July 26, 1966 R. F. PITMAN ETAL 3,262,5@2

OUTRIGGER STRUCTURE FOR HOLE BIGGER AND DERRICK APPARATUS Original FiledNov. 28, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l Raymond E P/fman Dean E. Erode/"sonBYHePber W. ronemegef' Jr.'

July 26, 1966 R. F. PrrMAN ETAL OUTRIGGER STRUCTURE FOR HOLE DIGGER ANDDERRICK APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 28, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Emmiwww;

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INVENTORS. Raymond E Pman BYDea/v E, Erode/"son Herbe/1f W @rane/wagerJn ,EL J,QTTORN/EYS. y

Q NNN www United States Patent 6 claims. (01.212-145) This is a divisionof our copending application Serial No. 72,027, filed November 28, 1960,and entitled, Hole Digger and Derrick Apparatus.

This invention relates to yan Outrigger assembly adapted -to be mountedon a mo-bile vehicle such as a utility vehicle, as for example ahydraulic digger and a derrick.

An important object of the invention is to 4provide an improvedOutrigger for a utility type vehicle and which is operated by a singlehydraulic cylinder which functions to not only extend the leg of theOutrigger, but to also swing the latter away from the truck intosupporting relation-ship to the boom structure in response to actuationof the cylinder.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an Outriggerwhich employs only one hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly for movingan extensible Outrigger leg from a folded, stowed position Within thehousing therefor on lthe vehicle body, to an extended, groundengagingdisposition at an angle with respect to the vertical.

Other important objects and details of construction of the present unitwill be described in greater detail or become obvious as the followingspecification progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a line truck havinga hoisting unit combining the functions of a hydraulic digger and aderrick mounted on one rear corner of the truck body and shown in thestowed position thereof in direct overlying relationship `to the truck,certain parts of the equipment being broken away to reveal details ofthe elements therebehind;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view on reduced scale of the vehicle, shownin FIG. 1 and illustrating the position of the boom when projectingoutwardly from the truck frame, the location of the Outrigger assemblyin extended condition, and the way in which the auger is moved to theoperable position thereof from the stowed disposition of the same asshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the Outrigger Iassembly per se andwith certain parts thereof being broken away and in section to revealdetails of construction of the same;

FIG. 4 is aside elevational view of the Outrigger as shown in FIG. 3; Y

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 3, but with theextensible leg of the Outrigger being in retracted position; .and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, horizontal, cross-sectional view taken on line6-6 of FIG. 5 and looking downwardly.

The Outrigger assembly of the present invention and broadly designated214, is adapted to be mounted on body 22 Of utility vehicle 24 in directalignment with a hydraulic digger and deriick unit thereon having boomstructure 38. Vehicle 24 has a frame 25 supported by a pair of spacedwheel and axle units 31 and carrying body components 22 in the nature ofa cab 27 and storage compartment and bed assembly 29. Outrigger assembly214 may for example be mounted on the rear right-hand corner of body 22.and includes an upright housing 216 which is of generallyoutwardly-facing, U-sha-ped configuration ice provided with a verticalrear wall 218 and a pair of opposed side walls 220 Iand 222 presentinga'space therebetween for receiving the 4extensible Outrigger leg 224 asshown in FIG, 5. A bracket unit 226 mounted within housing 216 adjacentthe upper end thereof, mounts connector means 228, in turn carrying ahorizontal pin 230 rotatably receiving the upper extremity of a tubular,transversely rectangular leg section 232 forming a part of extensibleleg 224. The lowermost leg section 234 telescoped over and complementalwith section 232, is beveled at the lower extremity thereof and receivesa bearing plate 236 which is disposed to complementally engage theground when extensible leg 224 is in the extended position thereof asshown in FIG. 3. A hydraulic cylinder assembly 238 within extensible leg224, is provided with a cylinder 240 connected to cross member 242within section 232 adjacent the upper end thereof, by ear means 244secured to vcross member 2424 by pin means 246. The piston 248 ofassembly 238 is joined to a cross member 250 yat the lower extremity ofsection 234 by U-coupling 252 connected to cross member 250L by pinmeans 254.

A pair of parallel links 256 are pivotally joined to lugs 258 secured tothe normally rearm-Ost face of section 234 intermediate the endsthereof, by pin means 260, while the Opposite ends of the links 256 areswingably connected to the lower ends of corresponding side walls 220and 222 of housing 216 by pin means 262. A sleeve 264 surrounding pinmeans 262, interposed between links 256 and secured to the latter,maintains the same in proper spaced relationship.

.An additional support may be provided for body 22 during operation ofboom structure 38, and the same preferably includes hydraulicallyoperated jack means 266 which includes a bracket 268 secured to theframe 270 of body 22, as well as a vertically shiftable ground-engagingmember 272 land movable in response to control means forming a part ofthe hydraulic system of vehicle 24. The Opposite side jack 266 providesstability for .boom structure 38 during cross-body operation thereof.

, A horizontal step 276 loca-ted at the left rear corner of body 22,permits the operator of boom structure 38 to have ready access to thecontrols 278 for the hydraulic components of unit 20, and Outriggerassembly 210, as well as jack means 266, and in a position where he cansee the disposition of allof the parts of boom structure 38.

The combination digger-dern'ck vehicle 24 is especially adapted for usein the erection and maintenance of electrical transmission lines, as forexample in the setting of line poles.

Vehicle 24 is driven Onto the shoulder of the road adjacent the .pointwhere it is desired to dig a hole for receiving a utility pole orsimilar article, and the operator climbs up on step 276 so that he mayOperate the controls 278. Initially, the control for assembly 238 isoperated -tO thereby cause hydraulic fluid to be directed into cylinder240 in a direction to force piston 248 outwardly. Extension of piston248 moves section 234 outwardly with respect to section 232, whereby thelinks 256 force leg 224 away from and out of housing 216 with the plate236 moving into engagement with the ground when links 256 are in asubstantially horizontal plane. In this position, the extensible leg 224serves to stabilize the vehicle during use and operation ofdigger-derrick unit 20.

The Outrigger assembly is retracted by shifting piston rod 248 ofcylinder assembly 238 inwardly into cylinder 240, whereby section 234telescopes over section 232 to effect swinging of leg 224 into thehousing 216 `as links 256 are caused to swing upwardly into the locationthereof illustrated in FIG. 5.

An especially important advantage of the present outrigger assembly isthe disposition of cylinder y240 within tubular leg sections 232 and 234so that rod 248, as well as the couplings Iat opposed ends of cylinder240, are protected at all times against objects striking the same. Thepresent construction virtually eliminates problems associated withdamage to the Outrigger piston and cylinder unit because of poles andother objects striking the outrigger during operation of the hoistingderrick forming a part of the present mechanism.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto Ibe secured by Letters Patent is:

l. For use on a vehicle having a frame and body structure carried by atleast a pair of spaced wheel and axle units, the combination with saidstructure of an Outrigger having:

.an elongated, tubular, extensible leg having an upper leg section and alower leg section disposed in relatively reciprocable, telescopedrelationship;

a piston and cylinder assembly within the leg with the piston thereofbeing joined to one of the leg sections and the cylinder being coupledto the other leg section whereby extension and retraction of the pistoncauses corresponding rela-tive reciprocation between the leg sections;

first pivot means pivotally joining the upper extremity of the upper legsection to the structure at an elevation substantially above the levelof the vehicle axles;

non-extensible link means pivotally connected to the lower leg sectionintermediate the ends of the piston and cylinder assembly within saidleg; and

second pivot means pivotally mounting the link means on the structure indisposition below the level of said tirst pivot means but notsubstantially below said level of the axles of the vehicle, the electivelength of said link means being not signiiicantly greater than thestroke of the piston of said -assemlbly and said link means beingpivotally joined to said lower leg section at a location causing the leg-to be in substantially upright disposition adjacent the structure withthe pivot axis Vof the connection of the link means to lthe leg beinglocated outwardly of the structure with respect to a line between saidfirst and second pivot means when the piston is retracted whereby uponextension of the piston, the lower extremity of said lower leg is movedoutwardly and downwardly into engagement with the ground under thecontrol of said link means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lower leg is of a length tocause the lower ground-engaging extremity thereof to be locatedsubstantially at the level of said second pivot means when the piston isretracted and the leg is in the substantially upright dispositionthereof.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said link means if of a length tocause the same to -be in substantially horizontal disposition when thepiston is extended to an extent to lbring the lower extremity of thelower leg section into engagement with the ground in stabilizingrelationship to the vehicle.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein is provided an upright housingmounted on the structure in alignment with said leg Iand having anelongated vertical recess therein for receiving said leg when the latteris in the retracted position thereof.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said leg sections and the linkmeans are of effective lengths causing the members to be located ingenerally vertical disposition when retracted and at approximately a 30angle when extended.

6. For use on a vehicle having a frame and body structure carried by atleasta pair of spaced wheel and axle units, the combination with saidstructure of an Outrigger having:

:an elongated, tubular, extensible leg having an upper leg section and alower leg section disposed in relatively reciprocable, telescopedrelationship;

first pivot means pivotally joining the upper extremity of the upper legsection to the structure at an elevation substantially above the levelof the vehicle axles;

power means within the leg and connected to the upper and. lower leg.sections for shifting the lower leg section relative to the upper legsection;

non-extensible link means pivotally connected to the lower leg sectionin substantial spaced relationship from the lowermost extremity of saidlower leg section;

second pivot means pivotally mounting the link means on the structure indisposition below the level of said iirst pivot means but notsubstantially below said level of the axles of the vehicle, said linkmeans being pivotally joined to said lower leg section at a locationcausing the leg to be in substantially upright disposition adjacent thestructure with the pivot axis of the connection of the link means to theleg being located outwardly of the structure with respect to a linebetween said first and second pivot means when the leg is in saidsubstantially upright disposition, and the effective length of said linkmeans being not significantly greater than the normal extent ofreciprocable movement of the lower leg section whereby upon movement ofthe lower leg section away from .the upper leg section, the lowerextremity of said lower leg is moved outwardly and downwardly intoengagement with the ground under the control of said link means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1933 Williams280-1505 12/1941 Keller 217--60 ll/l948 Cameron 212-145 X 2/1962 Noll etal. 212-145 A. L. LEVINE, A. H. NIELSEN, Assistant Examiners.

1. FOR USE ON A VEHICLE HAVING A FRAME AND BODY STRUCTURE CARRIED BY ATLEAST A PAIR OF SPACED WHEEL AND AXLE UNITS, THE COMBINATION WITH SAIDSTRUCTURE OF AN OUTRIGGER HAVING: AN ELONGATED, TUBULAR, EXTENSIBLE LEGHAVING AN UPPER LEG SECTION AND A LOWER LEG SECTION DISPOSED INRELATIVELY RECIPROCABLE, TELESCOPED RELATIONSHIP; A PISTON AND CYLINDERASSEMBLY WITHIN THE LEG WITH THE PISTON THEREOF BEING JOINED TO ONE OFTHE LEG SECTIONS AND THE CYLINDER BEING COUPLED TO THE OTHER LEG SECTIONWHEREBY EXTENSION AND RETRACTION OF THE PISTON CAUSES CORRESPONDINGRELATIVE RECIPROCATION BETWEEN THE LEG SECTIONS; FIRST PIVOT MEANSPIVOTALLY JOINING THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF THE UPPER LEG SECTION TO THESTRUCTURE AT AN ELEVATION SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE VEHICLEAXLES; NON-EXTENSIBLE LINK MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER LEGSECTION INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLY WITHINSAID LEG; AND SECOND PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE LINK MEANS ONTHE STRUCTURE IN DISPOSITION BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID FIRST PIVOT MEANSBUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID LEVEL OF THE AXLES OF THE VEHICLE, THEEFFECTIVE LENGTH OF SAID LINK MEANS BEING NOT SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER THANTHE STROKE OF THE PISTON OF SAID ASSEMBLY AND SAID LINK MEANS BEINGPIVOTALLY JOINED TO SAID LOWER LEG SECTION AT A LOCATION CAUSING THE LEGTO BE IN SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT DISPOSITION ADJACENT THE STRUCTURE WITHTHE PIVOT AXIS OF THE CONNECTION OF THE LINK MEANS TO THE LEG BEINGLOCATED OUTWARDLY OF THE STRUCTURE WITH RESPECT TO A LINE BETWEEN SAIDFIRST AND SECOND PIVOT MEANS WHEN THE PISTON IS RETRACTED WHEREBY UPONEXTENSION OF THE PISTON, THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF SAID LOWER LEG IS MOVEDOUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GROUND UNDER THECONTROL OF SAID LINK MEANS.